you want to meet?’ asked Clancy, ‘I think I need to get some air.’
Clancy and Elliot had arranged to meet at the Donut, mainly because Elliot felt safe there. Marla did not allow brawling or customers beating other customers to a pulp, not in her premises and the Gorilla had been told to take a walk. As fearful as he was about being caught in someone else’s punch-up, Elliot was very interested to talk about it.
‘So, have you seen the kid again?’ said Elliot, leaning forward, talking in a hushed voice.
‘Do I look like I have?’ said Clancy, pointing at his face.
‘That’s good,’ said Elliot. ‘What did he look like anyway? I didn’t get a good chance to see.’
‘Ugly,’ said Clancy. ‘Nasty eyes, you know, unpleasant.’
‘Probably one of those kids that’s got no friends, you know.’
‘Even Bugwart has friends,’ said Clancy.
‘Yeah but she’s got a sort of charisma; this guy sounds like a loser,’ suggested Elliot.
‘Yeah,’ agreed Clancy, ‘no charisma that I could detect, but he sure looked like he had plenty of friends hanging around.’
‘That’s not good; if he has friends at Junior High then I expect you will run into him again, huh?’ said Elliot.
Clancy looked at him with exasperation. ‘Would you stop sounding so thrilled about it?’
‘Sorry,’ said Elliot. ‘You think he’s gonna hound you for the rest of your school days?’
Clancy took a deep breath in an effort to keep his cool. ‘Look, I don’t think he’s even realised I’m at Twinford Junior High and since he isn’t even attending Twinford, then if I’m lucky he won’t notice me before graduation. I mean, we only met for like a second. He’s not gonna remember me.’
‘Some hope,’ said Elliot, ‘a kid like that sets his sights on you, you are done for.’
‘That’s helpful,’ said Clancy. ‘I am feeling a whole lot better after this little chat.’
‘You got a way of preventing yourself from being socked in the nose?’
‘Yeah, I’m gonna avoid him,’ said Clancy.
‘And how do you plan to do that?’ asked Elliot.
‘I’m gonna try that technique – the one that magician whats-his-name was talking about.’
‘Which one?’ asked Elliot.
‘Thingy on Channel Z, with the hands that look like they belong to someone else.’
‘The magician guy person?’ said Elliot. ‘Darnley Rex?’
‘Yeah, that guy,’ agreed Clancy, ‘so he was talking about invisibility and—’
‘You’re gonna make yourself invisible?’ interrupted Elliot, ‘by magic?’
Clancy rolled his eyes. ‘Are you nuts? Of course not by magic, I’m talking about the illusion of invisibility.’
‘Well good luck with that.’ Elliot started to laugh.
Clancy rolled his eyes again. ‘You don’t sound like you have a lot of confidence in me.’
‘Oh, I do,’ Elliot laughed. ‘It’s just, say. . .’ He was beginning to lose it now. ‘It’s just, I mean I hate to be a downer here Clancy and throw eggs on your parade or whatever, but what if the kid sees right through your brilliant illusion?’
‘Then I guess I get socked in the nose.’
Elliot nodded. ‘So long as we’re clear.’ He continued to laugh so much that he fell off his chair, which caught Marla’s attention.
‘Could you two kids behave like people who belong in a diner or could you take yourselves to another establishment.’
Clancy and Elliot immediately pulled it together.
‘So look,’ said Clancy, ‘don’t tell anyone about this, OK?’
‘Why not?’ said Elliot, ‘what’s the problem with people knowing?’
‘Because it’s my problem,’ said Clancy, ‘nobody else’s, and I’m going to deal with it my way. Plus,’ he added, trying to appeal to Elliot’s cowardly side, ‘I don’t want anyone else to get this creep’s attention. It’s on me and I’m gonna sort him out my way.’
‘What about Ruby, you gotta tell her, don’tcha?’
‘Definitely not Ruby. You know what she’s like, she’ll only end up trying to punch him and I really don’t think that’s a good idea – I don’t think her arm’s strong enough after the break. You gotta promise me, OK, don’t tell Rube.’
‘If you say so Clance,’ said Elliot, ‘but let me know if you need a buddy to step in to defend you and I’ll try and find a candidate – hey, maybe Cassius Clay would be interested.’
He was back.
The smell of shoe leather,
the not-quite silence,
it filled the apartment. . .
She braced herself and strode into the dimly lit room. He looked up.
‘So who are you today, dear thing?’ He was smiling, a questioning sort of look playing in his eyes as if he might really be interested. ‘You seem to have such fun; you see a future in all this. I remember those days – just.’ His smile faded and a sadness fell across his face. ‘I try to see the point in it all but after a while it all becomes so –’ he gestured with his hand – ‘samey.’
She almost felt sorry for him; he did look so disappointed.
‘Murder, kidnap, theft? What really lies beyond this, kicks-wise, I mean?’
‘World domination?’ she ventured.
‘A pipedream,’ he said. ‘I mean does one really ever dominate the world? Can it be done?’
‘Well. . .’ she began.
He looked deep into her eyes, the cold black of his stare holding her, fixing her, she could not look away. ‘I hope you are not double-crossing me, my dear. I should hate to sever our friendship.’
‘I would never,’ she said, ‘never.’
‘Then prove it. Bring me the 8 key and the other trifle or I will have to assume the worst.’
